Recordkeeping Archives - 401k Plan Optimization, Compliance, Investment & Partners

The Next Wave of 401(k) Record Keeper Consolidation

By Fred Barstein / Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, Consolidation, Convergence, Financial Wellness, Record Keepers, recordkeeper consolidation, Recordkeeping, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Plan Advisor Due Diligence

The 401(k) record-keeping industry is entering a new wave of consolidation, with more providers expected to merge or exit in the next three to five...

The Future of Aggregators: Key Takeaways From the 2025 Roundtable

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, Aggregators, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Changing Recordkeepers, Client connection, DC plans, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, Investment Managers, Plan Acquisition, Recordkeeping, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Committee, Roundtables

Aggregator Roundtable 2025: How RPAs and RIAs are Reshaping Workplace Saving and Benefits

The 2025 Aggregator Roundtable brought together leaders from major RIA and RPA aggregators to discuss how workplace retirement, wealth, and benefits are converging. With fees...

The Coming Battle Over 401(k) Participant Data

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, Changing Recordkeepers, DC plans, Employee Data Protection, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, financial wellness, Investment Managers, participation, personal financial advice, Recordkeeping

The 401(k) industry is heading toward a major conflict over who can access and use participant data. Record keepers and advisors both depend on this...

Supreme Court Decision Lowers the Bar for ERISA Lawsuits Against Plan Sponsors

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Benchmarking Fees, Communication, DOL, DOL Guidance, erisa, ERISA Advisory Council, fee compression, fee lawsuits, fee transparency, Fiduciary, Fiduciary, investment, Managed Accounts, provider due diligence, Record Keepers, Recordkeeping, Retirement Plan Advisor Due Diligence, Retirement Plan Fees

A recent Supreme Court decision has changed the legal landscape for plan sponsors, making it easier for plaintiffs to file lawsuits over how plans do...

Plan Sponsors Want More From Retirement Advisors, and Here’s Why

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) advisor trust, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, 401k plan, Client connection, collaboration, Confidence, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Employee engagement, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Advisors, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, Future Self, recordkeeping, Recordkeeping, Retirement Advisor Specialist, Retirement Committee, Retirement Income, Retirement planning, Retirement Readiness, Target Date Fund

Plan sponsors want better retirement savings outcomes for their employees and are looking to advisors for solutions. The disconnect between what participants need to save...

Inside Broadridge’s iJoin Acquisition & the Push Toward Convergence

By Fred Barstein / Change, Convergence, Financial Advisors, Fintech Record Keepers, Managed Accounts, Record Keepers, Recordkeeping, Retirement Income

Broadridge’s acquisition of iJoin underscores the accelerating convergence of wealth management and retirement services in the workplace. iJoin, once a digital onsite enrollment tool, has...

Cerulli: Closing the Retirement Guidance Gap Is Key to Better Outcomes

By Fred Barstein / 401k plan, benefit education, benefits committee, Client connection, Confidence, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee engagement, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Improving Outcomes, Recordkeeping, Regs and Regulators

Employees are hungry for retirement guidance, but many don’t know where to turn for help. This disconnect between need and access has created a significant...

The Recordkeeping Industry Faces an Existential Moment

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Adaptability, Communication, Convergence, Convergence & Advisor M&A, DC Plan Sponsors, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, innovation, investment, Recordkeeping, Retirement Plan Advisor

The 401(k) recordkeeping industry stands at a pivotal moment. With $12.5 trillion in assets and 121 million accounts, recordkeepers are navigating intense pressure driven by:...

401(k) Plans Offer a Strategic Advantage in Economic Downturns

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 401k plan, 401k rollovers, auto enroll, auto escalate, Auto Portability, Communication, DC plans, diversity, diversity, Economy, Employee engagement, employer match, Financial Security, Financial Wellness, Independence planning, investment, Investment Managers, Recordkeeping

Recessions don’t announce themselves with a save-the-date card. When they arrive, plan sponsors and ERISA fiduciaries face mounting pressure to safeguard participants’ retirement savings. The...

Overcoming Challenges in 401(k) Record Keeping: John Hancock’s New Approach

By Fred Barstein / AI, AI for Retirement, artificial intelligence, automation, Changing dynamics, Digital Design, Digital Tools, Financial Advisors, Fintech Record Keepers, Overcoming Challenges, Record Keepers, Recordkeeping

There are significant challenges for 401(k) and 403(b) record keepers still relying on outdated technology, much of it built in the 1990s using mainframe coding...